The Pascommuck Conservation Trust
Preserving our past. Protecting our future.
A number of cars and people were in the general area of Williston Ave. on Saturday due to the fishing derby taking place. Despite that, a steady flow of people came to find bargains at the tag sale. The Trust took in $381.00 from the tag sale and $576 from the raffle for a total of $957. Thank you to everyone who participated.
The 2025 Annual Meeting was attended by approximately 40 people.
Laurie Sanders, naturalist and co-director of Historic Northampton, provided an overview of the Manhan River watershed–from its geologic origins and special habitats to its role in human history and significance to conservation, recreation, wildlife, and climate change resilience. In addition she also presented wildlife from cameras she has set up in obscure locations. Here is a link to the video. on Facebook
Easthampton media recorded the meeting and the link to the annual meeting video is here.
PCT had a table at the December 8th Farmer’s Market in Room 141 next to the RMV. We will also be there on December 15th. Come by to say hi and see what the Trust is working on these days!
All of Sue Walz’s 2025 calendars were sold for a total of $540 plus $15 in donations. This will be the last year that Sue is doing the calendars. We thank Sue for her fund raising efforts over the years. Stay tuned as a new version of the calendar is being planned for 2026!.
An Easthampton homeowner has acted to protect 10 acres of state-significant habitat along the Manhan River.
On October 2nd, the land was donated to Pascommuck Conservation Trust to be set aside as an undisturbed natural area for fish, wildlife, and plants. The parcel is a complex of floodplain forest and wetlands, extending along nearly a half mile of riverfront.
Acquiring the property with his late wife in late 1999, the owner spent the last two decades observing the progression of seasons as spring floods reshaped the course of the River, late summer droughts revealed its shoreline, and animals from birds to bears traveled through the floodplain forest as the Manhan meanders from the Oxbow towards the Hilltowns.
Dianne McLane, Trust President, stated, “This gift adds protected acreage to an important wildlife corridor — it is definitely a property where “Wild Things Roam”. Expanding conservation land along the Manhan is an important undertaking and we can only thank the homeowner for their generosity and foresight in protecting such an interesting and natural part of Easthampton.”
To sustain its fragile resources, the newly donated land will not be accessible to the public. Setting the riverfront aside as a preserve provides a refuge and safe passage for wildlife in a heavily developed area, while keeping the floodplain intact reduces flooding downstream. Saving waterfront on the Manhan and along other streams in town is a goal Pascommuck has pursued since its founding in 1982.
